Forms of Theft: Deuteronomy 23:15-25

In this message we skip ahead a little in Deuteronomy. The verses found in the first portion of Deuteronomy 23 deal largely with ceremonial laws. Our concern in this series is to consider the more practical and abiding aspects of God's Law. Thus, we move ahead to consideration of the beginning of Moses' exposition of the Eighth Commandment: "Thou shalt not steal." This exposition, it would seem, runs from Deut. 23:15 through 24:7. In most of the situations presented it is obvious that the idea of theft lies in the background of the case laws. In some cases, however, it will require some careful scrutiny to see the connection. One fact we should notice at the outset is what the Eighth Commandment does not specify. That is, it does not say what is not to be stolen. Understanding this will make our task a little easier.